I hope you enjoyed Monday's Royal Wedding Recap. Mr. Connoisseur felt the love and appreciated all of your kind comments about him. He says he will return to the channel again one day soon :)

I have had a terrible cold this week and, as such, have a very short video and blog for you today. My Trader Joe's haul was well-received (it turns out you like knowing what other people buy at the grocery store as much as I do!), so today I'm sharing a Costco haul with you.



Why is it nice to know what other people buy at the grocery store? Because it can give you ideas for your own home-cooked meals. For our family of 5 (soon to be 6), being prepared with the right groceries is a crucial part of running a successful home. I hope you enjoy today's quick video, which shares a sample of what I typically get at Costco. I tell you what I buy, what I ended up making, and the cost of the trip.

Did you know that Madame Chic shopped at a large warehouse grocery store once a month? I went with her and she loved getting items for the freezer and other bulk groceries she couldn't find from her local daily trips. For Madame Chic, a deal was a deal.

In the video, I mention two new items we tried: the omega-3 bread and the chocolate banana crêpes. The bread was delicious and we loved it. The crêpes were not a big hit and we probably won't be buying them again. I don't think the kids liked the texture of the mashed banana in the crêpe. Much better to make our own.

I hope you enjoy today's video.

News
For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On the Ten-Item Wardrobe eCourse, Laura says, "I'm so glad I am taking this course! I have already begun to remove clothing from my closet and have taken the first pile to donation!! Feeling lighter and enjoying the freedom of saying "goodbye" !😊"

Hi Laura, I'm so glad you are enjoying the course! It is so exciting to start your own ten-item wardrobe.


On Instagram

Enjoy every little moment... ☕📚🍹 🌸 #thursday #littlefriday #treats #coffeetime #coffeelover #coffeeperson #orangejuice #croissant #lilac #chocolate #jam #pearjam #book #enjoylittlethings #enjoyyourcup #enjoyyourcoffee #madamechic #thedailyconnoisseur @dailyconnoisseur

A post shared by Kateřina K (@1_catherine_) on May 3, 2018 at 2:01am PDT

Comment of the Week
On Monday's Teatime with Jennifer, Royal Wedding Edition video, Paula UK writes:


Thank you, Paula! Ben's advice to "let the other person be wrong" was definitely the line of the week. It took me a moment to process what he said and I found it so funny! Wonderful advice we can all learn from :)

Thank you for joining me today. What are your favorite things to buy at Costco? Please let us know so we can get more ideas. Or if you'd like to share your favorite grocery haul items, we would love to hear those too. I'll see you on Monday for a wonderful interview about aging well with Melissa55. See you then!

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To cap off last week's home tour videos, I am sharing one way I display faux flowers to make them look sophisticated and even real. I like to use leaf ribbon on the inside of a clear vase to make the arrangement look like it came from a florists' shop.



Of course there are many ways to display faux flowers. You can use glass pebbles, decorative opaque vases, and even acrylic water (which I have also done), but sometimes it's fun to use leaf ribbon to try to achieve the chic look from a florists' shop. I'm showing you how to use it in today's video with various vase shapes.





I usually get my faux flowers from Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Amazon and AFloral.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial in today's video.

News
I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day celebration. We had such a great day. I wanted to share this quote from Louisa May Alcott's, Little Women:



You have a few days left to enter my Ana Luisa Jewelry Giveaway. 3 lucky winners will receive the beautiful 'Olivia' earrings. Giveaway is for US residents only.

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On Instagram
Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic in Poland...

Dzień dobry w poniedziałek! Mam nadzieję, że udało Wam się zrobić w ten długi weekend tyle ile chcieliście, a jeśli nie wszystko to chociaż większość 😉 Dużo energii na dzisiaj Wam życzę! Pogoda jest piękna! 😍 #flamingo #ksiazka #madamechic #lekturadoherbatki #teatime #herbatkazksiążkąpl #herbatkazrana #notes #piekniejest #milegodnia #taca #bambus #kujonki #minimalizm

A post shared by Minimalistic Girl (@minimalisticgirlblog) on May 6, 2018 at 11:20pm PDT

Comment of the Week
Regarding last week's real and faux indoor plant post, DD writes, "I mix real and faux flowers in arrangements. A bunch of real lilies (inexpensive at the supermarket) in a big vase with several faux long, drooping stems of tiny orchid blossoms gives me an easy, beautiful, impressive arrangement for the entry or dining table. I've seen guests check them out and determine "real" when they see the lilies are real! Economical, beautiful, and easier to arrange and take care of than a big bouquet of varied real cut flowers."

Hi DD, what a great idea to mix real and faux in the same vase. I bet your arrangement looks spectacular!

Today, I would love to know if you use faux flowers when decorating. How do you like to display them in a vase? Let me know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog. See you on Thursday for a pregnancy chat video.



Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Take a walk with me on the beach and have a chat! In this video, I update you on how homeschooling is going, what our daily routine is in Portugal and the unusual things I have been missing while traveling abroad. We are actually in England right now, but I hope you enjoy seeing these videos from our Portugal trip.

This video was shot on the DJI Gimbal Osmo video recorder. I'm still learning how to use this device so bear with me as I try to walk in the thick sand, talk and film at the same time. Ha!

I hope you enjoy today's video.

News

Take my new eCourse on the ten-item wardrobe! With over an hour of never-before-seen video instruction, notes and quizzes, you will feel prepared to create your own ten-item wardrobe. For those of you who already do the ten-item wardrobe, this course will keep you on track and provide further inspiration. The course is self-paced and includes a lively comment section with other ten-item wardrobe enthusiasts. Enjoy!



Fiona G writes, "Thank you Jennifer for putting this course together. It's been really helpful in putting the 10 item wardrobe into practice."

Thank you, Fiona!



Today I would love to know... what are the unusual things you miss while traveling?


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First, I showed you What I Look Like at the End of the Day, and now it's time for me to show you what I look like in the middle of the day. What's going on this afternoon? The dishes need to be done, the kitchen needs to be cleaned, I have a roast in the slow cooker and cookies fresh out of the oven. It's gloriously messy, comforting and joyful all at the same time!

Running a home can be stressful and overwhelming, but enjoy the process (that is what being a daily connoisseur is all about!). It will not be pretty. You and your home will not look perfect, but you can take pleasure in the journey.

I'm listening to the Miss Mapp audio book to get ready for our book club. (I've read the novel and am now solidifying it by listening to it.)

Here is my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I keep the dough in the freezer and make it in small batches. I like to make 6 - 8 cookies at a time. This is perfect for when unexpected guests arrive.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients
1 C butter, softened
1 C white sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps hot water
1/2 tsp salt
2 C semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, and chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for about 10- 14 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Delight in the pleasures of the afternoon, no matter how messy and work-laden they are. For more on the pleasures of the afternoon, check out my book, At Home With Madame Chic.

I hope you enjoy today's video!

News
I hope you'll join me for the Mapp & Lucia Book Club. We will be starting at the end of June. Write down your questions so I can answer them in my upcoming videos!

And in the Instagram world...

A cup of tea, a bar of chocolate and Lessons from Madame Chic. What a perfect evening!

A post shared by Ewa (@ewa_fotografuje) on May 16, 2017 at 10:20am PDT

Lanasartstudio has drawn some of her favorite inspiring books and Madame Chic made the cut!

Begin each day with a grateful heart ❤️ Happy Tuesday my #instafamily ! Life is beautiful 🌸 take time to enjoy it! #quoteoftheday #instart

A post shared by Lana Moes (@lanasartstudio) on Apr 25, 2017 at 8:24am PDT

This picture talks about the different titles in American and Japan...

A post shared by Licca (@licca_graces) on May 19, 2017 at 8:27am PDT

Comment of the Week
Alexandra tried out a vegan version of my Authentic Indian Chicken Curry. Here is her report:
Hi Jennifer,
Here is my after-cooking report. My family loved this dish! There was nothing left at the end of the meal. My teenage son ate two large servings. I'm so glad you're giving curry to your baby. He will have a sophisticated palate when he is older.
Like Julie, I used coconut cream in place of the yogurt. To cut down on the fat, I also sauteed the onions in veggie broth instead of oil. The veggies I used were zucchini and summer squash. We've only been vegan for a couple months; so we are still firming up our favorite recipes. This is definitely one of them.
For those who may feel intimidated by all the spices, I don't think it's absolutely necessary to use every single spice. I substituted powders for the pastes and skipped the garam masala since I didn't have it. The curry was still fantastic.
Thanks again,
Alexandra

Alexandra, I'm so happy your family loved the recipe and you were able to adapt it to your needs. Wonderful!

Today I would love to know... what do you have going on this afternoon? What are your pleasures of the afternoon? Let me know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!

See you Thursday for a review of a new book discussing the history of makeup.



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Part 3 of the reader Q&As continues today with a special appearance from Mr. Connoisseur at the beginning of the video. Have the books changed me? What do my friends think of the Madame Chic books? What should you do when you are in a bridal party and everyone around you lacks poise? How can I implement routines into my home life? All of these questions are answered in today's video plus much more.

News
I hope you will join me for the Mapp & Lucia book club at the end of June!

Here is a snapshot of the two volume Lessons from Madame Chic comic books from Harper Collins Japan...

The Lessons From Madame Chic 2 volume comic books from @harpercollinsjp Illustrated by the great Junko Murata ❤️ #lessonsfrommadamechic #MADAMECHIC #jenniferlscott

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on May 2, 2017 at 10:25am PDT

Jezball Adventures shares The Madame Chic Collection...

So very excited to start reading. #jezballadventures #thedailyconnoisseur #jenniferlscott #madamechic 🇹🇹

A post shared by JezelleM (@jezballadventures) on Apr 24, 2017 at 4:42pm PDT

Comment of the Week
Amy writes: I grew up on a farm surrounded by hardworking men and women and we learned an appreciation for honest, hard work. No one I know would find this fashion trend to be acceptable in any way. Most folks who have jobs that get them this dirty want nothing more than to get home scrub up in the shower and put on fresh, clean clothes as a reward for that hard work. My father wouldn't have sat at our dinner table looking like that let alone have gone out to a restaurant or a movie. He would have considered it disrespectful to himself and to others. I'm assuming if you are spending $425 on these jeans, you would wear them anywhere. I find it disrespectful to socialize looking like this and hope folks have more sense than to buy into this fad.

Hi Amy, I loved your comment on the Fake Mud Jeans post. It's nice hearing your perspective having grown up on the farm. Your father sounds like a wonderful man! Thank you to you and everyone who commented.

I would love to hear your thoughts on today's discussion topics. Have you ever been in a group of peers and felt uncomfortable with their behavior? What did you learn from it? Where do you struggle with routines in your home life? What are your successes with routines? Let me know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur!

If you have any questions you'd like to submit for a future reader Q&A, you may leave a comment here, or email me privately via my author website. Please note: due to the large volume of emails I receive, I am not always able to respond. I do read every email and appreciate every one!


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Twitter @JL_Scott

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Links may be affiliate.